NRCC News

NRCC to offer World War II history course

Jan 07 2019

Every day, 348 American World War II veterans pass away. By 2025, almost none will be left, according to experts.

“It's obviously becoming more difficult to hear first-hand accounts of, arguably, the greatest calamity in world history,” said Ted Farmer, New River Community College assistant professor of history. “Taking a class on the subject, therefore, is perhaps the best way to learn about it, and I feel that the course offers students an opportunity to learn about the key individuals, battles and places that were critical to the war. World War II changed the world, and especially the United States, forever. Knowledge of the war helps one understand innumerable aspects of the contemporary world, as well.”

NRCC will offer a three-credit history course on World War II during the spring 2019 semester. The course, “HIS 267: The Second World War,” is taught by Farmer, who has more than 15 years’ experience teaching World War II history at NRCC. Farmer has written and published numerous articles in an array of magazines and holds a master’s degree in history from Virginia Tech.

The course examines causes and consequences of the Second World War, including the rise of totalitarianism, American neutrality, military developments, the home fronts, diplomacy, and the decision to use the atomic bomb.

The three-credit course meets three times a week—Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—starting January 23, 2019, at NRCC’s campus in Dublin from 10:10 a.m.-11:05 a.m. The course can be taken as a social science or a general elective.